Manchester United spoiled multiple leads against Everton in a Premier League matchup on Saturday, Feb. 6. The game resulted in a 3-3 draw between the two clubs.
Early on in the match, Everton kept steady possession of the ball and looked like the dominating side. They failed to find the back of the net and give themselves the advantage.
In the 24th minute, Manchester United struck first with a delightful connection between Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani. Rashford crossed a dipping ball to the back post and Cavani converted, with his head, to give United the lead a little over halfway through the first 45 minutes.
Cavani, a previous Paris Saint-German player, was signed in early October 2020. He now has seven goals in 22 appearances for his new club.
Everton would go into the locker room down 2-0 after United’s Bruno Fernandes hit an absolute rocket right outside of the box into the net’s top left corner in stoppage time. The midfielder has been deadly on the pitch, scoring 13 goals in 23 games and adding on nine assists.
Although United led 2-0 going into the second half, Everton was determined to bounce back from the two-goal deficit. In the opening minutes of the second, Dominic Calvert-Lewin received a through ball from an Everton teammate into space. Calvert-Lewin attempted to score but United’s goalkeeper, David De Gea, got a hand on the ball, and it fell right to the feet of Abdoulaye Doucoure, who touched the ball into the net.
Three minutes later in the 51st minute, James Rodríguez settled a ball from Doucoure in the box and then smashed it low into the corner, making it difficult for De Gea to reach. Everton was right back in the game after it looked like a difficult recovery from the United lead.
Gameplay continued for the two teams, and United was looking to regain control of the match. They did so in the 70th minute on a free kick. Defender Luke Shaw delivered a ball into the box to Scott McTominay, who headed it past Olsen to give United a 3-2 lead.
With the game nearly over, Everton won a free kick with the ball placed in United’s third of the field. The ball found the head of Michael Keane, who flicked it on to Calvert-Lewin, and he kicked it past De Gea to end the match 3-3.
In the end, United’s lack of defense caused them to concede three goals in the second half. After the match, ESPN caught up with United’s manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, to hear his thoughts about the result.
“We played some good football in the second half, but conceded three goals from three shots on target. When you do that, it is disappointing,” Solskjaer said.
United sits in second place with 45 points behind Manchester City’s 50 points. Everton currently has 37 points in League play but will look to go higher in the standings as they compete against Fulham on Sunday, Feb. 14.
Manchester United will also take the pitch on Sunday as they face West Bromwich. That game can be seen on NBC Sports Network.